GM Aleksandr Lenderman has a perfect score through two rounds of the four-day schedule of the 37th Eastern Open in Washington, D.C. Starting the day with a well received 90-minute pre-tournament lecture titled "How to Attack," Lenderman finished the day about 10 hours later, quickly exploiting an opening inaccuracy (10...a5) by National Master Philip Collier.

GM Larry Kaufman, IM Oladapo Adu, and NM Zhi-ya Hu share first place in the four-day Open Section with Lenderman at 2/2.

The tournament is continuing last year's popular practice of upset prizes in each section in each round. Maryland A player Curtis Winter, playing up in the Open Section, garnered the prize in round one, overcoming a 229-point deficit to win over Virginia Master Andrew Samuelson in this Modern Benoni.

Samuelson bounced back in round two with a win over tournament organizer Tom Beckman.

Star players GM Alex Ivanov and IMs Bryan Smith and Enkhbat Tegshsuren are entered in the three-day schedule, which begins at the Westin City Center at 5:30 EST Tuesday. The Eastern Open Blitz Championship is Tuesday night at 10:30 p.m. Details and crosstables are available at www.easternopenchess.com. Look for a final report on the event on CLO.